Workable Peace: Ethnic Conflict and Genocide in Post-Colonial Africa
1
Historical Background and General Instructions
Table of Contents
I. Historical Background 1
II. Negotiation Setting 5
III. Roles in the Negotiation 6
IV. Negotiation Issues 9
V. Instructions for the Negotiation 10
I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
“The graves are not yet quite full. Who is going to do the
good work and help us fill them completely?”
-Radio Mille Collines Broadcast, May 1994
In May 1994, the officials in control of Rwanda
made the above statement on national radio. They were
members of Rwanda’s Hutu majority ethnic group. The
recipients of the message were millions of desperately
poor Hutu peasants struggling to survive. Those that
the government wanted to put in their graves were
members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group. Their objective
was to eliminate the Tutsi from the face of the
earth. They nearly succeeded.
Rwanda is a small country (about the size of the U.S.
state of Massachusetts) in East Africa (see Rwanda
map). There are actually three ethnic groups living in
Rwanda. The Twa are the least numerous, making up
only 1% of the population. They are of pygmoid origin,
the first inhabitants of the land that is now Rwanda.
They were mainly hunter-gatherers in the past, but
most now subsist as village craftsmen.
The Hutu are the most numerous, comprising 88% of
the population. When the Tutsi arrived in the region
long ago, they found the Hutu to be the principal
occupants. The Hutu have probably been living in
Rwanda since the fourth or fifth century A.D. They are
primarily farmers.
The Tutsi are cattle herders who most likely came
from Ethiopia, and comprise 11% of Rwanda’s population.
They moved to Rwanda around the fourteenth
century A.D. The Tutsi had superior skills as warriors,
and superior wealth in the form of cattle. They were
able to establish a monarchy, the leader of which was
known as the Mwami (king). Soon the Mwami was in
control of all Rwanda, with the original residents as
well as the Tutsi newcomers as his subjects.
For the last 500 years Rwandans have considered themselves
to be Banyarwandans, inhabitants of the kingdom
of Rwanda. They all speak the same language,
Kinyarwanda. They all share the same customs.
Most importantly, they have always lived together in
handout
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This role play was written by Iman Soliman, under the direction of David Fairman, at the Consensus Building Institute (CBI). MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program Director Larry Susskind, Workable Peace Senior Consultant
Dov Ronen, Project Co-Director Laura Keane, and Associate Michele Ferenz provided editorial assistance. It was revised by Workable Peace Director Stacie Nicole Smith. Additional copies may be purchased from the Program
on Negotiation Clearinghouse online at www.pon.org or by telephone at 800-258-4406 (781-239-1111 from outside the United States). This exercise may not be reproduced, revised, or translated in whole or in party by any
means without written permission of the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Copyright © 1997, 2008 by the Consensus Building Institute and the President and Fellows of Harvard University. All rights reserved.
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the same villages. Therefore, in one Rwandan village
there have always been three peoples living side by
side; the Twa, the Hutu, and the Tutsi. Some Tutsi, and
a very few Hutu, were members of the wealthy elite
and close to the Mwami. However, most Banyarwandans,
Hutu and Tutsi alike, were simply poor peasants
struggling to survive from one year to the next.
In 1897, the Germans conquered Rwanda. However,
the number of Germans actually living in Rwanda was
never very significant, so the German administrators
chose to control Rwanda via a system of indirect rule
through the Mwami. The Germans favored the Tutsi
very much. They had heard rumors that the Tutsi were
a race of white people living in the middle of deepest,
darkest Africa. Some Tutsi did indeed look different
from most of the Africans that the Germans had previously
encountered. One German priest wrote, “We
can see Caucasian skulls and beautiful Greek profiles
side by side with Semitic and even Jewish features,
elegant golden-red beauties in the heart of Ruanda.”
However, a German administrator described the Hutu
as displaying, “very typical Bantu features. They are
generally short and thick-set with a big head, a jovial
expression, a wide nose and enormous lips. They are
extroverts who like to laugh and lead a simple life.”
Obviously, the Germans favored the Tutsi. The Hutus
were quick to understand that their colonizers considered
them to be an inferior race that deserved to be
ruled by the Tutsi. This type of negative ethnic stereotyping
made the Hutu hate the Tutsi.
In 1916, the Belgians won Rwanda from the Germans.
They continued the same system of indirect rule originated
by their German predecessors. They favored the
Tutsi socially and economically. They selected mostly
Tutsi for government jobs. Places in schools were open
only to Tutsi. Even the Catholic Church selected only
Tutsi for the priesthood. However, these positions were
few and far between and most Tutsi, like the majority
of Hutu, remained poor peasants.
After the second World War, the Belgians began to
develop concerns about their rule in Rwanda. The international
community was criticizing them for their
discriminatory colonial activities. However, what
bothered them much more was that the Tutsi elites they
had been coddling for so long began to question Belgian
authority. Like the rest of Africa, the Tutsi were demanding
independence for their country. In retribution,
the Belgians removed all of their support for the Tutsi
and gave it to the Hutu. Suddenly, the majority of the
population that had been seething under the indignity
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
Hutu: Compose 88% of Rwanda’s population. Have
lived in Rwanda since 4th or 5th century A.D. Primarily
farmers.
Tutsi: Though only 11% of population, they were the
dominant group in Rwanda since the 14th century.
Historically cattle herders. The Germans and Belgians
ruled the region through them in the late 19th and early
20th centuries. Lost power when Belgium ceded the
country to the Hutus in 1962.
Twa: Constitute only 1% of population, and live alongside
the Hutu and Tutsi. Share the same languages and
customs as the Hutu and Tutsi.
Hutu
88%
Tutsi
11%
Twa
1%
European Influence on the Region
Late 1800s: Germany conquered Rwanda. They favored
the Tutsi and used them to maintain German
control over the region.
Early 1900s: Belgium won the colony from Germany
and continued to treat both the Tutsi and Hutu
harshly. Due to mounting concern and questioning
of Belgium’s authority, Belgium ceded control of the
government to the Hutu.
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Historical Background and General Instructions handout
of being treated as inferiors seized the reins of power,
and when Rwanda became independent in 1962, a Hutu
totalitarian regime was in control of the country.
The country’s first president was Grégoire Kayibanda.
During his rule, from 1962 to 1973, 10,000 Tutsi were
massacred in reprisals by the government and Hutu civilians.
Included among the dead was every single Tutsi
politician living in the country. In addition, 336,000
Banyarwandans (mostly Tutsi with some Hutu sympathizers)
fled the country.
In 1973, Juvénal Habyarimana took over the presidency
during a coup. During the first years of his rule,
Rwanda experienced relative calm. However, the Tutsi
were still persecuted. They were allowed only 10% of
the positions in schools, the civil service, and private
establishments.
In 1986, Rwanda’s economy collapsed because the
prices of its two main exports, coffee and tin, bottomed
out on the world market. Economic instability
led to political instability. In 1988, the Banyarwanda
refugees (there were now some 600,000–700,000
living in exile) formed a political and military organization
called the Rwanda Patriotic Front
(RPF). They were demanding the right to return to
Rwanda, but Habyarimana had enough problems
internally without letting the troublesome refugees
return home.
In 1990, the RPF invaded the north of Rwanda. Although
they were soon repelled, the Rwandan government
massacred 1,400 Tutsi in retaliation for the
attack. The RPF would not give up, and they began to
defeat the government’s army. The government finally
accepted a cease-fire with the RPF in 1993, after the
RPF had managed to push its way to within 30 kilometers
of Kigali, the capital city. Nearly 2,000 Rwandan
Tutsis had lost their lives in retaliation for the RPF’s
actions. However, Habyarimana had finally agreed
to allow the Banyarwandan refugees to return home,
and to form a coalition government with the RPF and
other political parties.
On April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana was murdered
when the plane in which he was riding was shot
down over Kigali. Most likely, he was killed by Hutu associates
within his own government, who were afraid
of losing their power as a result of the peace agreement
he had made with the RPF. For four years they had
been preparing the Hutu peasants to kill their Tutsi
neighbors through local training and hateful messages
in the media. They had even armed some Hutu and
formed them into killer militias, the Interahamwe.
Within an hour of killing Habyarimana, they had put
their plan into action and the genocide began. During
Village Life in Rwanda
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Hutu Refugees leaving for Zaire
UNHCR
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the next two months 850,000 Tutsi were slaughtered.
Over half the Tutsi population of Rwanda perished at
the hands of their neighbors. Many other Tutsi were
tortured, raped, and maimed.
On July 14, 1994 the RPF declared victory in the war,
which had broken out again when the genocide began.
However, the massacres were already winding
down. Two million out of Rwanda’s seven million
people, mostly Hutu, fled the country as refugees.
Conditions in the refugee camps were hellish. The
refugees were tightly controlled by the same local officials
that had incited them to kill their neighbors.
Some refugees had participated in the slaughter of
the Tutsi, but in the refugee camp it was impossible
to sort the innocent out from the guilty. On July 21,
deadly cholera broke out in one camp called Goma.
After two weeks, 50,000 people (5% of the camp’s
population) had died from the disease. Only in 1996,
forced by instability within their host countries, did
the Hutu local officials in the camps allow the refugees
to return home.
Now that the Hutu refugees are returning home,
Rwanda is faced with another crisis. In most communities
there are conflicting claims to land and property.
Figuring out who has the right to claim a piece of
land can potentially throw the Hutus and Tutsis back
into violent conflict.
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
Refugees returning home to Rwanda
UNHCR
Chronology of Major Rwandan Events
1897 German colonial rule exercised through
Tutsi monarchy.
1916 Belgians conquer Rwanda and concentrate
all chiefdom powers in Tutsi.
1946 Tutsi elites begin agitating for independence;
Belgians switch support to majority
Hutu, splitting independence movement
and deepening the Hutu-Tutsi divide.
1959–61 Tutsi-led monarchy is abolished and
Hutu elite takes power. Hundreds of
Tutsi killed in process.
1962 Independent Rwandan republic is declared
with Hutus firmly in power.
1963–64 Tens of thousands of Tutsi killed and
hundreds of thousands expelled or
exiled to four neighboring countries.
1962–73 10,000 Tutsi massacred; 336,000 Banyarwandans
flee.
1973 Coup brings President Habyarimana to
power.
1990 Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) composed
of Tutsi exiles and their descendants
invades Rwanda from Uganda.
1990–93 2,000 Tutsi massacred in retaliation to
RPF invasion.
1993 Government and RPF sign cease fire and
repatriate exiled Tutsi.
1990–94 2,000,000 Rwandans (mostly Hutu) flee
—2/7 of total population.
Apr ’94 Habyarimana assassinated, presumably
by hard-line Hutus. Massacres of 850,000
Tutsi occur over next three months.
Jul ’94 RPF declares victory in the war. Deadly
cholera breaks out in refugee camp killing
50,000 in Camp Goma.
Nov ’94 Refugees return to Rwanda because of
fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo
(Zaire).
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II. NEGOTIATION SETTING
This role play is based in a village called Gisenyi. It’s
located in the far north of Rwanda, on the border with
the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Gisenyi was
one of the last Hutu strongholds to be taken over by
the Tutsi Mwami that ruled Rwanda before it became
a colony of Germany. As a matter of fact, the Mwami finally
succeeded in capturing Gisenyi only after receiving
military assistance from the Germans. Life before
the era of Tutsi domination, from 1900 to 1959, is well
remembered by most of the Hutu residents of Gisenyi.
If they themselves hadn’t been there before the Mwami,
their parents had. Therefore, the Hutu people in
Gisenyi carry a deep resentment toward all Tutsi. They
believe that the Tutsi are invaders from the north, and
oppressors that treated them as second class citizens.
Every resident of Gisenyi, Hutu and Tutsi alike, is desperately
poor. Most are unable to grow enough food
to meet their daily caloric requirements. Each owns
a small plot of land on which they have built a house
and where they grow what food they can.
When Rwanda gained its independence and the government
fell under the control of a small group of Hutu
elite, some Hutu took out their anger on their Tutsi
neighbors in Gisenyi. Some Tutsi were killed; others
fled the country. After 1970 there was an uneasy peace
between the ethnic groups in Gisenyi.
The local leader, the bougmestre, talked frequently
about the Tutsi threat in the early 1990s. He said
that the Tutsi army was waiting just over the border
in Uganda. He said the Tutsi were planning to invade
and, with the help of their compatriots in the country,
kill all the Hutu and take their possessions. What
the bougmestre said was confirmed by what was being
broadcast on national radio. The Hutu were warned to
be wary of the Tutsi, and to be ready to defend themselves
against the enemy.
When the genocide began, Gisenyi was isolated from
the first events. They heard on the radio that the feared
Tutsi uprising had begun. Throughout the country it
was necessary to hunt the Tutsi enemy down. Yet the
Tutsi in Gisenyi did not seem to be revolting with their
compatriots. Nerves were on edge as the people of
Gisenyi waited.
Then, one night, airplanes landed outside of Gisenyi.
Armed Interahamwe militiamen infiltrated the village
and began to slaughter the “enemy” Tutsi. The next
morning, the Hutu in Gisenyi woke to rumors that the
Gisenyi Tutsi had begun their revolt, that they were
out to kill the Hutu if the Hutu did not eliminate them
first. Soon, the Hutu of Gisenyi began to join the militia.
Those that tried to protect their neighbors were
immediately killed as collaborators. Those that did not
take part in the slaughter became suspect and were
executed. To resist participation in the genocide made
one guilty of collusion with the enemy. It was a crime
for which one could lose one’s life. Few Hutu were able
to keep their hands clean of blood. Very few Gisenyi
Tutsi were able to survive.
Historical Background and General Instructions handout
Poverty in Rwanda
UNHCR
Body Count—From 1962 to 1994
860,000 Tutsi murdered over 32 years
2,000,000 Rwandans in exile in 1994
50,000 refugees dead in Camp Goma
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Finally, rumors began to spread that Tutsi soldiers
from Uganda were about to sweep into the village
and slaughter all the Hutu for their participation in
the genocide. The Hutu of Gisenyi were herded together
by their bougmestre and forced to flee into Zaire.
Those that lagged behind were shot by the Interahamwe.
The residents of Gisenyi spent two years in exile
at the Goma refugee camp in Zaire. While there, they
were under the complete control of the bougmestre.
He dictated when they could obtain food and water,
whom they could talk to, and whether they could seek
medical help when they got sick. Many lost relatives in
the camp to starvation, thirst, and disease.
When eastern Zaire, where Goma was located, itself
broke into civil war in 1996, the refugees were herded
back to Gisenyi by the bougmestre. However, the village
was not completely deserted when they arrived.
Some people, both Hutu and Tutsi, had settled there
and claimed squatter’s rights to the land they occupied.
The new government of Rwanda had set up an
administration in the area as well.
The people of Gisenyi returned to find that their village
had changed, and that some of their lands had
been claimed by others. All of the people in this negotiation
knew each other before the genocide, except
for the new prefect (governor) of the region, who had
been sent by the new government in Kigali.
III. ROLES IN THE NEGOTIATION
Bernadette
Bernadette is a 44-year-old Tutsi woman. The night
that the killings started in Gisenyi, the Interahamwe
invaded her house just as she and her family had drifted
off to sleep. The militiamen burst through the front
door, grabbed her husband, and dragged him outside.
She ran to protect her two youngest children, but was
followed by several militiamen carrying machetes.
She heard her husband outside begging that the children
be spared, but then he was silenced with a bullet
to the head. Bernadette’s children were torn from
her arms by the militiamen and killed with machetes.
Then they closed the front door and took turns raping
Bernadette. When they were through, they dragged
her outside and attacked her with machetes and sticks.
At dawn they left her for dead. However, she was able
to drag herself into the bush, where she was found
five days later by a Hutu woman. She was taken in
and cared for by this woman. Nine months later Bernadette
bore a child whom she named Constance.
Soon after the birth of Constance,
Bernadette returned to
the land that had been owned
by her husband, and the home in
which she had lived during the
25 years of their marriage (see
Gisenyi Map). The bougmestre
that had been in office from
1962 until 1990 had given the
land to her husband because it
had been abandoned by another
Tutsi family in 1962. That family
had fled the country during
the killing of Tutsis that had occurred
that year. However, the
transfer of land made by the
bougmestre had never been officially
documented. Therefore,
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
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Bernadette has no written proof that the land had actually
belonged to her husband.
Bernadette is completely alone because no other relative
survived the genocide. Though she farmed her land
for over a year following the genocide, she became sick
two months ago and was too weak to plant crops this
season. She is now relying on food given by the government
and the goodwill of people in the village to survive.
However, Bernadette is shunned by most of the
villagers. Constance is malnourished and often sick.
Ancille
Ancille is a 45-year-old Hutu woman who managed to
escape the forced exodus to Goma. Before the genocide
she was a neighbor of Bernadette’s, and the two
women often spoke as they worked in their adjoining
fields. In April 1994, when the militiamen passed Ancille’s
house on the way to Bernadette’s, they demanded
that her husband join them in eliminating the Tutsi
threat. Therefore, Ancille’s husband was a murderer of
Bernadette’s children and one of her rapists.
Ancille’s husband is now in prison, having been accused
by Ancille and Bernadette of participating in
the genocide. She and her 16-year-old daughter, Anne,
now live alone on their small plot of land. Before the
genocide, Anne married Bernadette’s oldest son, Jean.
Ancille has in her possession a will written by Jean,
her son-in-law. The will says that the land he would
one day inherit from his father (Bernadette’s husband)
was bequeathed to his wife (Anne) in the event of his
death. Therefore, Ancille claims the land on behalf of
her daughter, Anne. Until this season, Ancille did not
attempt to take any land from Bernadette. Now that
Bernadette is too sick to plant any of the land, Ancille
and Anne have planted crops on a portion of the land
next to their own field.
Historical Background and General Instructions handout
Bernadette
44-year-old Tutsi woman whose family was
killed in the genocide.
Bore a child named Constance as a result of being
raped by her family’s murderers.
Her son, Jean, married a Hutu neighbor, Ancille’s
daughter, Anne.
Before Jean was killed in the genocide, he wrote
a will in which the land he was to inherit (Bernadette’s)
would be bequeathed to his wife (Anne)
in the event of his death.
Bernadette is now sick and unable to plant
crops on her land. Ancille and Anne claim rights
to this land.
Ancille
45-year-old Hutu woman and Bernadette’s
neighbor.
Her husband aided in the murder of Bernadette’s
children and rape of Bernadette.
She and her daughter, Anne, now claim rights
to Bernadette’s land through a will written by
Anne’s husband (Bernadette’s son) giving the
land to Anne.
Ancille and Anne have begun planting crops on
Bernadette’s unattended land.
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Frederic
Frederic is a 22-year-old Tutsi Banyarwandan refugee
who arrived in Gisenyi yesterday. He had just spent
the previous three weeks migrating from Uganda with
his family and his large herd of cattle. His father, who
died several years ago in Uganda, had owned the land
where Bernadette now squats before fleeing the country
in 1962, in the wake of massacres of Tutsi in Rwanda.
Frederic has in his possession his father’s original
title to the land, given to him by the Government of
Rwanda’s local representative in 1962, just before he
fled Rwanda and became a refugee. No other title to
the land has ever existed.
Frederic has moved onto the land being occupied by
Bernadette and Ancille, because he claims that it is
his. Besides, his cattle are exhausted, half starved, and
desperately in need of water. Both food and water are
available on the contested land. However, he has not
been able to properly control the herd, and it has gotten
into and destroyed some of Ancille’s crops.
Joseph
Joseph, a 25-year-old Hutu, is the newly appointed prefect
(governor) of Gisenyi Province, where the village
of Gisenyi is located. Prior to the genocide he lived
in Kigali, the capital city. He managed to avoid participating
in the genocide by never leaving his house.
He also managed to hide in his house two Tutsi children
whose parents were killed on the first night of the
massacre. Therefore, Joseph received his new position
as a reward for the assistance he provided to the Tutsi
during the genocide.
Joseph’s job is to settle land and property disputes in
the area. Because Rwanda is in political turmoil, he
has a great deal of latitude in how he can go about
his job. Joseph’s father had been a village leader, and
had always managed to settle disputes by calling the
villagers together in the village common and asking
them to decide upon the best and most fair outcome
to a conflict. His father’s ability to encourage people to
work together made a strong impression on young Joseph.
He would like to see the Hutu and Tutsi of Gisenyi
work together to find a solution to their conflicts,
like the Banyarwandans of old always did.
He must also investigate accusations made against
those accused of participating in the genocide. If he
finds the evidence against an individual strong enough,
he must report that person to the police, who will then
imprison the accused.
Charles
Charles, a 60-year-old Hutu and the local bougmestre
since 1990, had been elected to his position by the people
of Gisenyi. The Hutu in the village decided not to
reelect the previous bougmestre because they thought
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
Frederic
22-year-old Tutsi herder who recently migrated
from Uganda who is claiming Bernadette’s land
as his own.
His family left the land during the 1962 Hutu
uprising and he possesses his father’s original
title to the property.
No other title exists.
His herd of cattle are grazing on the land and
destroyed some of Ancille and Anne’s crops.
Joseph
25-year-old Hutu who was recently appointed
governor of Gisenyi as a reward from Tutsi government
for harboring Tutsi children during the
genocide.
He seeks to follow his father’s example by settling
disputes through village discussion.
He is also responsible for reporting those who
participated in the genocide.
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he was too easy toward Tutsi, giving them land when
there were Hutu who did not have enough. Rwanda is
extremely overpopulated, and land is a precious commodity.
Without land, a family cannot eat.
Prior to the genocide, Charles encouraged the Hutu of
Gisenyi to hate and fear their Tutsi neighbors. He gave
weekly public addresses in which he called the Tutsi
invaders from the north, and attacked them for stealing
Rwandan land from its rightful owners, the Hutu.
Although he did not kill Tutsis during the genocide,
he did nothing to stop the slaughter, and may have
helped direct some of the Interahamwe killers to Tutsi
homes. When the RFP neared Gisenyi, Charles forced
most of the Hutu population to flee to Goma in Zaire.
He has just returned to Gisenyi with most of the villagers,
and has reclaimed his elected position. He says he
was elected by the people of Gisenyi, and is therefore
the rightful local leader. Now that he is back, he says
Joseph no longer has any power.
Perpetune
Perpetune is a 29-year-old Hutu woman whose family
managed to escape participation in the genocide.
However, when Charles the bougmestre rounded up
the people of Gisenyi for exile in Goma, Perpetune’s
family could not hide. They left behind all of their
possessions, abandoning their house and their land.
Perpetune’s husband died in Goma during the cholera
outbreak, because the bougmestre would not allow her
to fetch one of the foreign doctors that had recently
arrived to take care of the sick, and she herself became
debilitated. When Perpetune returned to Gisenyi, she
found her land and house unoccupied. It is located
next to Ancille’s land, on the opposite side from that
occupied by Bernadette. She has since moved back in
with her children, but has been unable to plant crops
in her field because it is too late in the year’s growing
season to begin sowing. So, she has struck an agreement
with Ancille. Since Perpetune is too weak right
now to work herself, her children will help Ancille finish
growing the crops that she has planted already. In
return, Perpetune will get half the harvest. Next year,
they plan to plant crops on all of the contested land.
IV. NEGOTIATION ISSUES
In the time allotted, the participants in the negotiation
should seek a workable solution to three issues:
OWNERSHIP:1. Who owns the land claimed by Bernadette,
Ancille, and Frederic? Remember, the land
had been given to Bernadette’s husband by the
bougmestre in 1962. Bernadette claims that because
Historical Background and General Instructions handout
Charles
60-year-old Hutu and local bougmestre elected
by people of Gisenyi.
Prior to the genocide he encouraged local Hutu
to hate and fear the Tutsi.
He is suspected of having aided the Interahamwe
during the genocide.
Since his return from the refugee camp he has
reclaimed his position.
He claims Joseph holds no power because he
was not elected by the people of Gisenyi.
Perpetune
29-year-old Hutu woman who did not participate
in the genocide.
Her family was forced to flee to Goma where her
husband died.
She returned with her children to find her house
and land unoccupied, but it was too late in the
season to plant crops.
She made a deal with Ancille. In exchange for
half the harvest, her children will help harvest
food that Ancille and Anne planted.
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her husband is dead, the land belongs to her. However,
Rwandan legal precedence rarely recognizes
the right of a woman to inherit the property of a
male relative without a written will. Ancille claims
the land is Anne’s, because Bernadette’s son (Anne’s
husband) had written in his will that when his father
died and he became owner of the land, his
wife would inherit the land in the event of his own
death. Perpetune backs up Ancille’s claim, because
her agreement with Ancille is the only way she
can get enough food to feed her children. Frederic
claims that he owns the land because he holds the
original title, even though his father abandoned the
land in 1962 and is now dead.
CATTLE:2. Where should Frederic graze his cattle?
Frederic has brought a herd of 30 cattle from Uganda.
They are exhausted and near starvation. When
he arrived yesterday, Frederic brought the herd
to the land he claims (the same land claimed by
Bernadette and Ancille). He would like to continue
grazing the herd on this land. But Bernadette and
Ancille do not accept Frederic’s claim to the land,
and Ancille does not want Frederic’s herd to eat the
bean and sweet potato plants that she has planted
on the disputed land. On the other hand, part of
disputed land has no crops planted on it, so no one
would be harmed if Frederic grazed his cattle there.
Perpetune and Charles, as well as other villagers,
may also be willing to offer some of their unplanted
land for grazing, if Frederic will give them something
in exchange.
DECISION-MAKING:3. Who should decide the answers
to these two questions? It is customary in Rwanda for
villagers to meet with local officials to discuss their
problems. Usually, the local officials will listen to the
concerns of the villagers, and then try to make a decision
that is fair to the villagers and also right according
to Rwandan laws and customs. In this case, both
Joseph and Charles may claim the right to decide the
case—Joseph as the governor of Gisenyi province,
and Charles as the bougmestre of Gisenyi. Because
there is some confusion about who is in charge, the
villagers might try to reach an agreement together;
it is not clear whether Joseph or Charles would allow
the villagers to decide by themselves.
V. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS
The negotiations will begin as a village meeting, which
six people attend. Because Joseph called the meeting,
he will begin as the meeting chairman. Charles may
challenge Joseph’s right to chair the meeting. If so, the
group will have to decide together who is the chair.
Prior to the actual negotiation sessions, you will spend
time preparing by reviewing the facts individually and
then with your same role groups. There will also be
time for informal meetings with other characters to
explore the issues together before you meet face to
face around the negotiation table.
Next, the negotiations will take place in four (4) sessions.
The first three (3) sessions will be devoted to
exploring each issue individually starting with Ownership,
then Cattle, and finally Decision-Making. In
these sessions everyone will have a chance to explain
his or her goals and interests.
After hearing everyone’s point of view, participants
are asked to generate as many solutions as possible
that meet each group’s needs for that specific issue.
In the fourth negotiating session the participants will
try to package an overall agreement covering all three
issues. The Chair will be responsible for writing down
any agreements that the group does reach.
At the end of the role play there will be some class
time devoted to debriefing the negotiations. Everyone
who played a role will complete a PEACE Checklist in
which they will rate their own performance on each
of the Workable Peace skills. Each team will meet to
review its performance, provide feedback to team colleagues,
and discuss what the team learned as a whole.
A member of the group should summarize what is discussed
in order to present it to the class. As a whole
class you will discuss the group presentations, review
some of the key moments in the negotiation, and examine
what you’ve learned about history and conflict
management as well as how it relates to your lives.
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
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Copyright © 1997, 2008 by the Consensus Building Institute and the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. 11
In brief, the role play will proceed using the following
structure:
Preparation
Individual Prep
Same-Role Prep
Four Negotiating Sessions
Negotiations by Issue (1/2/3)
Packaging (4)
Debrief
Written Reflection
Discussion in Teams
Class Discussion
Historical Background and General Instructions handout
Review Copy
Do Not Reproduce
Copyright © 1997, 2008 by the Consensus Building Institute and the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.12
handout Historical Background and General Instructions
Review Copy
Do Not Reproduce